As the new chair of the ABA House of Delegates Minority Caucus, it is my sincere pleasure to welcome you to the Caucus. The Caucus is the home for lawyers of color who belong to the House and other House members who share our interest and passion for matters of diversity, equity and inclusion. Our Caucus is among the largest in the House of Delegates and it is important that our collective voice continue to be heard.
Can we even begin to imagine that the last time the House of Delegate and our Caucus met in person was in Austin, Texas almost a year ago? How things have changed in that time. Most of us continue to work remotely and have learned to adapt our practices and our lives to a new way of communicating and dealing with each other. It is no different with the Minority Caucus.
The 2021 Midyear meeting will be virtual and even though we cannot yet meet in person, the important work of our Caucus must be done. At this year’s virtual meeting, we will hear presentations from and have the opportunity to ask questions of the candidates for officers of the ABA, we will hear and debate the report of the Resolutions Committee, and we will have the chance to network and catch up with each other, even if it is not quite the same as being together in person. In addition, I expect we will have time to start discussing some new matters for future consideration by the Caucus.
My goal for the year is to continue to find ways to engage the members of the Caucus in meaningful ways, especially as we continue navigating the pandemic. When one looks at the purposes and goals of the Caucus, it becomes apparent that we still have opportunities to embrace that will strengthen the Caucus and its members. For example, for the first time this year we asked the Caucus to support the ABA’s Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund. That effort succeeded in raising some money for LOSF, but we can do better. Similarly, there are other opportunities for helping develop the talent pool of lawyers of color for ABA leadership positions and to continue to explore ways in which our Caucus can be the most effective.
I welcome your thoughts and ideas about the Caucus, so please feel free to reach out to me at any time. I can be reached at Orlando.lucero@fnf.com or 505-332-6291. I look forward to hearing from you.
I know that working together we will make 2021 a great year for our Caucus and for the ABA